45 per cent of Avon Valley College (AVC) students achieved five A*-C grades including English and maths at GCSE – A four percentage points increase on last year’s figures.

Avon Valley College students will celebrate their results as they collect their GCSE exam results today.

This year’s GCSE results day will be more nerve-jangling than ever for schools in England, who have an anxious wait to see how their school will be judged under the government’s new performance measures.

The old measure, which ranked secondary schools on the proportion of pupils gaining C grades or higher in five GCSE subjects including English and maths has been replaced by a new ‘value-added’ metric known as Progress 8. Which, as its name suggests measures progress in attainment rather than setting a simple bar.

Using one of the new measures, half of the Durrington academy’s GCSE students achieved A*-C in English and maths, this is also and increase of four percentage points on last year’s results.

Avon Valley College students have done particularly well in, Drama, Religious Education, PE and Art.

“Our students should be proud of their achievements and I congratulate them, but I’d also like to say thank you to our staff and our community, for the support afforded to our students.”

Helen Mathieson CEO of Salisbury Plain Academies, of which AVC is now a part, said; "We look forward to working with Avon Valley College in the coming academic year following their conversion to Academy status in July, and to joining the Trust. Salisbury Plain Academies wants the very best for all of its young people and will work to support the college in achieving even more in the years to come. ”